The Christian in the Voting Booth (Part 3)
Eschatologically Driven Politics
Maybe the subtitle caught your eye and produced a giant question mark in your mind. That’s understandable. Most modern Christians still see Christianity and politics existing in two different spheres. So, it seems weird when someone says our theology drives our politics. Do those two things even mix? Let’s talk about it.
I’m going to have to remain disciplined in this post. I have a lot of thoughts about eschatology. But just because I have those thoughts doesn’t mean you want to read them all right now. My focus here is not on eschatology in general, but on how one’s eschatology effects their vote. I will try to stick to that aim.
Eschatology Is Important
Of all the topics in the common Christian’s theology, eschatology seems to be the most neglected. Many Christians refuse to wrestle with it because it seems too complicated and there is so much disagreement. Why worry about it? We all agree that Christ wins in the end. Who cares about all the semantics that lead to that point?
The thing is that those semantics drive your decisions and practices. Eschatology, within the orthodox views, may be a tertiary (third level) issue, but it is not unimportant. Tertiary issues still have primary implications. They are still going to inform how you live. I have a family member who had her husband build a pantry the size of a small bedroom in her house. It is now filled to the brim with canned goods and non-perishables. Why? Because of her eschatology. There are many Christians who waste countless hours obsessing over the rumored construction of the temple in Jerusalem, the search for the red heifer, and mathematical equations promising the rapture will be in our lifetime. By the way, who is supposed to be the antichrist now? Is it still Obama? I can’t keep up.
I’ll say it again. Tertiary issues still have primary implications. Your eschatological views will drive the way you live. Consequently, your eschatological views will drive the way you vote.
On Earth As It Is In Heaven
"Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10, NASB)
I’m sure you recognize that verse. It is part of the Lord’s Prayer. Have you ever really thought about what Jesus is directing us to ask for in this prayer? There is a common direction in texts like this, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Revelation 21, and others. It is the kingdom coming from heaven to earth. It is the message of Revelation 11:15, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” The kingdom of Christ is taking over the world - this world.
The majority consensus in modern Christianity has been that God is going to let the earth rot and burn. But before it does, He will whisk His people away out of it into some spiritual realm called heaven. In most minds it looks a lot like something out of the Wizard of Oz, yellow brick roads and all.
If we think this way, we will vote this way. What happens here isn’t terribly important in the long term. It’s all going to burn anyway, and we are just “passing through.” So, we are just getting by and laying low until our King rescues us out of the castle tower we are trapped in. No wonder we have stopped engaging in true spiritual warfare. No wonder Christians have stopped aggressively advancing the kingdom. Though it has enjoyed popularity for a couple hundred years, this dispensational idea is a new one in the landscape of church history. Go back before it took hold and you will see a much bolder brand of Christianity.
Our vote should be a manifestation of our eschatological mission. We are not called to wait it out until Jesus rescues us from the castle. We are called to take the castle for Christ. He has already claimed it and been given authority over it. Our job is to proclaim His authority over it and conform it to Him. Yes, there is a dragon. But the church is no damsel in distress. Distressed princesses don’t wear armor, nor do they hold a sword. We are called to wield both.
Creation is not heading for the furnace. That would be an awfully weird thing for the creation to yearn for (Romans 8:19-21). Instead, creation is yearning for restoration. One major part of that is Christ’s kingdom overcoming all the kingdoms of the world. Death is the last enemy to be defeated, not the first (1 Cor. 15:24-26). Christ, riding on His white horse (Rev. 6:2), is bringing the kingdoms of the world under subjection to Him. His primary means of doing this is through His Church.
Now, back to the prayer. This is what we are praying for. We are to pray that Christ would advance His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. In other words, bring heaven to earth. Make the kingdom of the world the kingdom of our Lord. He has given this to us as our own mission (Matthew 28:18-20) and we are to pray to that end as well.
Kingdom Takeover in the Voting Booth
Considering all of this, our vote, just like every aspect of our lives, should be aimed at our mission. Which candidate will aid in the advancement of the kingdom of Christ on earth? Will the candidate a) provide a favorable environment for the Church to do her work or b) hinder the Church’s work in advancing Christ’s kingdom?
We should want to see a return in our country to governance by the things of Christ. This is because we want every country to be governed by Christian principles. And, indeed, one day the whole world will be - this world. Vote accordingly.